Kneeboard Surfing USA Community Forum

Hi All,

I tried kneeboarding once decades ago and would now like to get one. I'm in Santa Barbara, if there's anyone locally that has a decent starter board they are willing to part with. Thanks for considering.

Cheers, Max

Max-

I recently visited SB/SLO and I got to talking with Bill Bookout, the Owner of Pismo Beach Surf Shop.

He had some old fishes and quads that would have been rippers. Most were priced at roughly ~$200 and were water-tight.

There is a Kneelo on Craiglist in SLO for $125 that is 6'2 x 23 and looks to be a fantastic board.

Keep your mind open and there are a lot of boards in SB that would work for your local breaks. Craigslist is a great starter, but walk the shops, talk to some folks at your local spot, see if there are some quads/fishes for sale that are not getting enough water time.

Once you get the feel for it again, then I would advise going to a custom shaper to get yourself dialed in.

Have fun, enjoy the ride, enjoy the journey.

Cheers,
Pete~

Thanks Pete. I haven't searched through all the shops here in SB, but my impression is that kneeboards are relatively scarce. I am heading through SLO soon, however, so will try to look around there too.

As for the $125 6'2" on Craigslist right now: Isn't that pretty long/gunnish for a kneeboard?

Looking forward to it...

Cheers, Max

Max-

6'2 is not too long for a kneelo. Being as the average surfer is around 5'6-5'9, that could feel like more board than you would normally use. Most kneelos tend to ride boards from 5'4-6'0 but that is dependent upon years surfed, wave quality, volume, etc.

As a tall kneelo (6'5), I have a lot more femur area to account for, but I have ridden everything from a 6'9 to a 5'2 depending on conditions.

The advantage to that 6'2 is that just like a longboard, it is wide, it is long, and so with the average waves in and around Oxnard to Santa Barbara to El Cap, you will have the bonus of being able to catch almost everything if it is small and getting in early when it starts to churn in the Winter.

As you get more of a feel for it, you can invest in smaller, more dialed boards as your equipment corresponds to your likes/dislikes in the kneelo wheelhouse.

$125 with the fins, kneepad, and clean board is a steal.

You can always ask your surf friends for spare fishes and smaller boards they are not riding to help you figure out what you would like to ride.

The best part about our style of surfing is: no one seems to care, so you will not have any preconceived notions about what your board should look like.

I hope this helps, stoked to have another person make the conversion. It's a gas.

Enjoy the ride, enjoy the journey.

Cheers,
Pete~

Hey Pete and others,

I pulled the trigger today... so although I can't consider myself one of the tribe, I at least own a kneeboard. Can't wait to try it! There are actually waves right now so it's hard not to dig out a surfboard. That's my default for decent waves, but since I'm goofy-footed in SB, I'm challenged on that front. That's part of the motivation.

Regardless, on a work trip back from Yosemite to SB, I took a detour to Morro Bay to check out that longish board that you pointed out on Craigslist. Seemed like a good deal and I bought it. I'll send some pics soon, but here's the skinny: It looks more like 5'11" and is a thruster by Jerry Grantham. The guy selling it shared some anecdotes about the shaper when he apparently was making boards locally on the central coast -- in Grover Beach or Nipomo? -- before moving to Hawaii:

http://www.pismobeachsurfshop.co/index.html

He said he bought it used about 15 yr ago and thought it was roughly 20 yr old. I'm stoked and would like to find out more if anyone has info to share about this shaper/board.

It's interesting that the webpage above has a note about being signed by JG, because this board does not have any of the typical measurements and signatures penciled in along the stringer. I suppose there could be something below the deck pad, but why put it there?

More details coming.

Cheers, Max

Max-

I had a feeling you were going to go for it when I saw it disappear from CL.

STOKED!

So glad it found a good home, it looks like a great starter. You can play around with the fins (twin, tri, single) and get a feel for what you like/dislike about the way it rides.

The swells are picking up, so stay stoked, but give us some pics and give us the rundown when you take it out.

I might be cruising through the area with work at the end of the month, I'll give you a shout if I do.

Welcome to the kneelo crew, it's a gas.

Cheers,
Pete~